to think Covid is changing people in unusual and disturbing ways?

[tttigress]

Have you noticed Covid changing you friends? Effecting their mental health?

Couple of examples of friends who have been very vocal on social media:

Friend1:
previously: quite left wing, into animal rights.
now: sees Covid as a scam, posting stuff from right ring/conspiracy oriented sites, attended a protest where people like David Icke was in attendance, many comments about "do your own research, don't listen to the main stream media"

Friend2:
previously: quite relaxed (maybe too relaxed), bit of a stoner, bit of a drinker, life of the part, quite sociable.
now: hardly leaves the house due to Covid, thinks people should wear masks at all times - even when outside, thinks people are taking Covid nowhere near seriously enough, thinks the media is underplaying Covid, thinks doctors are underplaying Covid etc. Although they think their life is in imminent danger from Covid still smokes and drinks at home

I am am bit concerned about the mental health crisis Covid could be causing

@kennelmaid

Granted he is in a high risk group but my DF hasn't left the house, unless it's for visits to gp or hospital, since April. He used to enjoy going out on his scooter around the village or to the shop to pick up his newspapers. He isn't depressed by it but I would say he's very cautious now.

To me that's rational behaviour. If there's a danger, you adapt to survive.

The higher risk people doing what they always do, and carrying on as if everything's perfectly normal are the ones that perplex me.

Survival is our strongest instinct. It is definitely bringing some behaviour to the fore that in 'normal' circumstances would be hidden.

Some of it will disappear as things return to more how they were before. I don't think it will be the same though.

I don’t see how the conspiracy theorists are far right. They seem to be more on the left to me and from all sorts of background/class. I have, however, heard the same lines from a couple of friends “do your own research” “it’s all about control, open your eyes”. Two in particular are intelligent women and they are adamant it’s a global plot and the only survivors will be the ones that resist the vaccine.

@liveitwell

YABU. Of course a deadly global pandemic will affect people's mental health. I think there's probably a problem if it doesn't tbh.

Friend 2 - doesn't sound like a mental health problem, it sounds like reality. We SHOULD be wearing masks around people who aren't in our household whether that's indoors or out. 600+ people are dying per day yet people just don't seem to care anymore.

If anything, I think Covid has shown how selfish and entitled so many people are. So many people don't care about others and can't face sacrificing for the sake of people's lives.

Paranoia is a mental illness. OP’s friend doesn’t leave the house and thinks everyone should wear a mask outside (as do you). That’s really irrational. Covid 19 is not in the top 10 causes of death. It’s 19th in England. Most people who die with Covid 19 had long term health conditions. In 2018 there were over 50,000 excess winter deaths, many were attributed to flu. Unfortunately, people die everyday. Even more so during winter.

Covid 19 is not in the top 10 causes of death. It’s 19th in England.

Please could you share your source for this statistic?

I’m a key worker. I’ve been working such long hours I’ve had no time to get anxious. It’s not great and life isn’t a lot of fun but I’m just getting on with it. What’s the point moaning?

Covid 19 is not in the top 10 causes of death. It’s 19th in England.

PnadaBearCub Over what time period is this? Where does this figure come from? Sources please?

Just a 30 second Google finds this figure for October.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-coronavirus-was-third-most-common-cause-of-death-for-october-having-not-been-in-top-10-the-month-before-12136147

I will try to find a better source, but looks like coronavirus was third most common cause of death in October.

An article from The King's Fund says this:

In about five months, Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales in 2020 have already exceeded the annual number of deaths from stroke or lung cancer in 2019.

The full article:

www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/deaths-covid-19

@NurseButtercup

Covid 19 is not in the top 10 causes of death. It’s 19th in England.

Please could you share your source for this statistic?

Here you go. Information from ONS. It may have increased since due to it being winter and flu season.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.lbc.co.uk/hot-topics/coronavirus/covid-19-not-in-top-10-leading-causes-of-deaths-across-england-and-wales/

Below is information on the bad flu season of 2017/18.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/urgent-care/flu-and-cold-weather-contributed-towards-50000-excess-winter-deaths-last-year/

@knittingaddict

Just a 30 second Google finds this figure for October.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-coronavirus-was-third-most-common-cause-of-death-for-october-having-not-been-in-top-10-the-month-before-12136147

I will try to find a better source, but looks like coronavirus was third most common cause of death in October.

Just read it. The article states that the number of deaths (doesn’t state a number) is “significantly lower than in April and May.” Also, “All except nine, aged between 54 and 99, had known underlying health conditions.” This is very unfortunate, but most people shouldn’t be locked inside and kept from their families and jobs. Like PP have said, suicide rates have risen, as have people who have missed out on medical treatments and suffered as a result. The whole situation is awful.

You’re bang on point. It’s changed people in to arrogant, obnoxious, selfish arseholes. Some have turned out for the better, but the majority just give me a headache.

Covid may be the 3rd most common cause of death but in absolute terms its tiny - 7.8% of all deaths according to the article cited above

Well it's certainly brought the tin hat brigade to mumsnet. Covid is not flu - its much more often fatal and far nastier for those that survive it. What is has done, though, is show that flu can be largely prevented with better hygiene and masks, countries like New Zealand havent had much of a flu epidemic at all this year. But the "it's just flu" is really boring.

It’s changed people for sure.
Two people I know in particular.
One has died from COVID
The other previously, healthy 40 year old, caught COVID. She was then was in a coma For three weeks. She is now out of the coma. Wasn’t responding to drugs whilst in the coma, and her hands And feet were not receiving blood supply.

Has now had her hands and feet amputated.

She’s on her own and no parents. So, for anyone saying COVID is a scam m, I’d say they had issues. Issues with their attitude and need to get a grip.

It's affecting everyone in all manner of ways so in that respect YANBU.

This has also gone on so long people have had set opinions and changed them multiple times throughout the year, I know I have.

In terms of mental health; it's a mind f*ck so yeah, I can see how it taps into certain fears.

@Puppylucky

Covid may be the 3rd most common cause of death but in absolute terms its tiny - 7.8% of all deaths according to the article cited above

I was just challenging the person's claim that it was 19th cause of death with no context or link or timescale .

Covid is at the levels it is with procedures in place to mitigate it's spread. Allowed to spread in an uncontrolled way it would have been a different story.

Absolutely, I can see the mental health impact on people at work. I work in mental health services and we are overwhelmed right now. It will get worse too - I would imagine when it's safer and people think it's ok to go to their GP / mental health team for help, there will be an influx of referrals to mental health services. Our NHS Trust has got some funding at the ready for the increase in people we will see likely next year.

At the same time, I've been sticking to the rules quite strictly, and I'm anxious about covid - even anxious about seeing my family (5 people from 3 households) at Christmas time. I think unfortunately the restrictions have been necessary despite the impact on Mental Health, and it's unfortunate that people aren't following them, because whilst that's happening, we will have to stay under restrictions for longer 😕

So no, you're not being unreasonable to think it's having a big, semi-unseen impact.

@tttigress

It is quite scary, friend1 in particular has had a political conversation from being a bit too far left to a bit too far right/conspiracy orientated in a matter of months. (although possibly you could say, that the two extremes are similar).

Friend2 fairly apolitical, just obsessed that they or their family are about to die.

I've known a couple of people on the left politically, eco-politics who have bought into conspiracies and very anti vax before the pandemic. I have a couple more friends who recently have become quite paranoid and clearly spent too long on the internet and smoking too much pot. I'm shocked at some quite intelligent and educated friends telling me how the media is only telling part of the truth and we're being controlled. I do think that there will be a significant toll on mental health for quite some time. I'm hoping that when work patterns settle and social connections are rekindled things will be better.

No one close to me has gone to the dark side of either conspiraloonacy or extreme COVID paranoia, although I do see some people online who have gone a bit far. One lady who, even when things weren't going badly in the middle of summer kept going 'I've heard loads of ambulances, it's the second wave' or complaining that a totally outdoor fairground in September was outrageous and surely going to be a super-spreader event (it wasn't). I can imagine how it must play on some people's anxieties.

I hate to think how any old family friend is doing - sadly we had to stop talking to her a few years ago after she got totally caught up in conspiracy stuff, some of it antisemitic (we're Jewish) and I'm sure right now she'll be on the 5g/Bill Gates is putting a chip in your brain/'Great reset' train sadly.

@alreadytaken

Well it's certainly brought the tin hat brigade to mumsnet. Covid is not flu - its much more often fatal and far nastier for those that survive it. What is has done, though, is show that flu can be largely prevented with better hygiene and masks, countries like New Zealand havent had much of a flu epidemic at all this year. But the "it's just flu" is really boring.

Bear in mind that until recently, no one could possibly have the flu without nearly dying because of it, and unless you were passed out and struggling to breathe for at least a couple of weeks with months of recovery afterwards, it could not ever be the flu and it must have been just a cold

We jump from that near-death-experience to "it's only the flu" very quickly!

Yes, I think it has highlighted problems in life or in marriage in some of my friends, which were already there but it highlighted them. Particularly in term of mental health

Friend 2 has cannabis paranoia so sounds quite fitting for them tbh.

Friend 1 is a moron and probably wouldn’t refer to them as a friend anymore.

@NoPainNoTartine

I am absolutely flabbergasted by the lack of resilience in this country. I read similar forum and testimonies from people in other countries, usually with a real lockdown experience, not the washy version we had in the UK, and my god the difference!

It's not like people are especially happy or patient, but nowhere have I read so much moaning than the UK about mental health, being unable to wear a mask... and not coping when really NOTHING has happened to them!

It's embarrassing.

This. I live in the Netherlands but am originally from Scotland, our bars and restaurants have been shut down for months, you just get on with it. The only moaning I hear is from the UK, which lets face it, came very late to planning for Covid. Its dragging on precisely because people won't just follow some basic rules.